Political parties would be well served to reach out to Latino community

Published 4:43 pm, Friday, November 23, 2012

The recent election proved to be a showcase for the changing demographics in the United States and the ever-increasing political clout of women and minority groups.

President Barack Obama and many other Democrats benefited from their recognition that the white male vote no longer determines the outcome of elections nationally and in many locales and that the U.S. is truly a multicultural nation.

Indeed, the president won re-election with strong support from women and overwhelming backing from African-Americans, Latinos, Asian-Americans and other minorities, as his policies were much more in touch with the beliefs of those groups.

Out of all the ethnic groups, Latinos are the fastest growing, both nationwide and here in Connecticut, and for the first time they represented more than 10 percent of the national electorate on Election Day.

Latinos comprise more than half of the voting population in Hartford and more than a third in Bridgeport.

Here at home in Danbury, 11 percent of registered voters are Latino, and that number is expected to grow dramatically in the coming years.

There is no question about it: Latinos are a political force to be reckoned with, and they will wield more and more influence in the coming years and decades.

We believe both major political parties would benefit, as would Latinos and the nation as a whole, if they were to pay closer attention to the Latino community, its culture, its beliefs and its stands on the issues.

Likewise, Latinos can aid in that effort by becoming more involved in the political process and making clear what matters most to them.

There are many who mistakenly view the Latino community as a monolith that cares only about immigration policy. Immigration is clearly an important issue to many Latinos, but Latinos are individual people, not stereotypes, and their individual interests -- like those of individuals in other ethnic groups -- range from the economy, jobs and education to women's rights, social issues and business policies.

The political party that grasps that reality and shows a greater understanding of the wants and needs of the Latino community will have a good chance to earn strong Latino support in the coming years.